Jim Clark began the season with a commanding victory at Kyalami, leading Graham Hill home in a Lotus one-two. His 25th World Championship win surpassed Juan Manuel Fangio’s record; tragically, it would also be his last Grand Prix appearance.
Race Guide
Season: 1968 F1 World Championship
Race date: 1 January 1968
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Kyalami
Laps: 80 laps
Circuit length: 4.104 km
1967 winner: Pedro Rodríguez
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:21.6 | |
| Fastest lap | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:23.700 on lap 73 | |
| First | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Second | Graham Hill | Lotus |
| Third | Jochen Rindt | Brabham |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 28 December 1967 | Thursday timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 December 1967 | Friday timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 30 December 1967 | Saturday final qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 1 January 1968 | Monday morning warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 1 January 1968 | Race | 15:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
The 1968 F1 World Championship began with a fresh points table and the first opportunity to measure the teams in race conditions. Kyalami hosted the opening contest, where qualifying pace, tyre management and reliability would all shape the result.
Race entries
Denny Hulme moved to McLaren as reigning champion, while Jochen Rindt joined Jack Brabham. Jackie Stewart began his partnership with Ken Tyrrell’s Matra operation. Ferrari brought Chris Amon, Jacky Ickx and newcomer Andrea de Adamich. Team Gunston’s John Love and Sam Tingle introduced a striking sponsor livery to the championship field.
Thursday timed practice
Delayed flights complicated the opening day, but Clark quickly adapted to Kyalami’s widened and resurfaced track. Stewart made encouraging progress in the new Matra-Cosworth while its handling was adjusted. Several teams already faced high operating temperatures, and Hulme’s older McLaren–BRM showed signs of fuel vaporisation.
Friday timed practice
Heat became the central problem. Stewart tried the Formula Two Matra while his new car overheated, and Ferrari, Brabham and Cooper also struggled with cooling. Hill encountered fuel-pump and suspension-link trouble. Clark, meanwhile, compared tyre options and continued to lower his times, giving Lotus a clear advantage despite its team-mate’s interruptions.
Saturday final qualifying
Improvised cooling solutions appeared throughout the paddock, including extra radiators and revised ducting. Brabham’s changes helped Rindt improve, while Gurney lost running to another fuel-pump failure. Clark secured pole on Firestone tyres after earlier Dunlop tests, ahead of Hill and Stewart. BRM finally traced Rodriguez’s electrical failures to incorrect wiring.
Qualifying Classification
Three timed practice days decided the grid. Sunday was a rest and preparation day before the Monday race.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jim Clark | Lotus | 1:21.6 |
| 2 | 5 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 1:22.6 |
| 3 | 16 | Jackie Stewart | Matra | 1:22.7 |
| 4 | 3 | Jochen Rindt | Brabham | 1:23.0 |
| 5 | 2 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 1:23.2 |
| 6 | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 1:23.5 |
| 7 | 10 | Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 1:23.6 |
| 8 | 8 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 1:23.8 |
| 9 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 1:24.0 |
| 10 | 11 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 1:24.9 |
| 11 | 9 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:24.9 |
| 12 | 6 | Dan Gurney | Eagle | 1:25.6 |
| 13 | 12 | Mike Spence | BRM | 1:25.9 |
| 14 | 22 | Dave Charlton | Brabham | 1:26.2 |
| 15 | 15 | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper | 1:26.3 |
| 16 | 19 | Jo Siffert | Cooper | 1:26.4 |
| 17 | 17 | John Love | Brabham | 1:27.0 |
| 18 | 21 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 1:27.2 |
| 19 | 20 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper | 1:27.3 |
| 20 | 25 | Basil van Rooyen | Cooper | 1:27.8 |
| 21 | 14 | Brian Redman | Cooper | 1:28.0 |
| 22 | 18 | Sam Tingle | LDS | 1:28.6 |
| 23 | 23 | Jackie Pretorius | Brabham | 1:29.0 |
Monday morning warm-up
An oil leak discovered during Clark’s morning running prompted urgent repairs. Lotus had already changed his engine after suspecting a damaged liner. The mechanics completed their work in time for the start, while other teams continued trying to keep temperatures under control.
What happened in the 1968 South African Grand Prix?
Stewart made the best start, but Clark soon took charge and established the pace. Hill recovered from a poor opening to move into second, giving Lotus control of the race. Stewart’s promising Matra debut ended with mechanical trouble.
Clark won ahead of Hill and Rindt, with Amon fourth. Hulme brought the McLaren–BRM home fifth, and Beltoise collected the final point in the smaller-engined Matra. Reliability and cooling had shaped the contest behind the leading Lotus cars.
The victory made Clark the championship’s most successful race winner at that time. His death in a Formula Two accident three months later meant that this dominant performance became the final chapter of his extraordinary Grand Prix career.
After the race, Jim Clark headed the drivers’ standings with 9 points, followed by Graham Hill on 6. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 9, with Brabham – Repco on 4.
1968 South African Grand Prix race results
The 1968 South African Grand Prix was held on 1 January 1968, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jim Clark | Lotus | 80 | 1:53:56.6 | 9 |
| 2 | 5 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 80 | + 25.3 | 6 |
| 3 | 3 | Jochen Rindt | Brabham | 80 | + 30.4 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 78 | + 2 Laps | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 78 | + 2 Laps | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 77 | + 3 Laps | 1 |
| 7 | 19 | Jo Siffert | Cooper | 77 | + 3 Laps | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 75 | + 5 Laps | 0 |
| 9 | 17 | John Love | Brabham | 75 | + 5 Laps | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Jackie Pretorius | Brabham | 70 | + 9 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 6 | Dan Gurney | Eagle | 58 | Oil Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 9 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 51 | Oil Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper | 46 | Overheating | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | Jackie Stewart | Matra | 43 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 18 | Sam Tingle | LDS | 35 | Overheating | 0 |
| Ret | 25 | Basil van Rooyen | Cooper | 22 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 11 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 20 | Fuel System | 0 |
| Ret | 2 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 16 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 10 | Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 13 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Mike Spence | BRM | 7 | Fuel System | 0 |
| Ret | 14 | Brian Redman | Cooper | 4 | Oil Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Dave Charlton | Brabham | 3 | Differential | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper | 2 | Water Pipe | 0 |
1968 South African Grand Prix Fastest Laps
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1968 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1968 South African Grand Prix.
1968 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Clark | British | Lotus | 9 |
| 2 | Graham Hill | British | Lotus | 6 |
| 3 | Jochen Rindt | Austrian | Brabham | 4 |
| 4 | Chris Amon | New Zealander | Ferrari | 3 |
| 5 | Denny Hulme | New Zealander | McLaren | 2 |
| 6 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | French | Matra | 1 |
| – | Jo Siffert | Swiss | Cooper | 0 |
| – | John Surtees | British | Honda | 0 |
| – | John Love | Rhodesian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Jackie Pretorius | South African | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Dan Gurney | American | Eagle | 0 |
| – | Jacky Ickx | Belgian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Jo Bonnier | Swedish | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Jackie Stewart | British | Matra | 0 |
| – | Sam Tingle | Rhodesian | LDS | 0 |
| – | Basil van Rooyen | South African | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Pedro Rodríguez | Mexican | BRM | 0 |
| – | Jack Brabham | Australian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Adamich | Italian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Mike Spence | British | BRM | 0 |
| – | Brian Redman | British | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Dave Charlton | South African | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Italian | Cooper | 0 |
1968 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 9 |
| 2 | Brabham – Repco | 4 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 3 |
| 4 | McLaren – BRM | 2 |
| 5 | Matra – Ford | 1 |
| — | Cooper – Maserati | 0 |
| — | Honda | 0 |
| — | Brabham – Climax | 0 |
| — | Eagle – Weslake | 0 |
| — | LDS – Repco | 0 |
| — | Cooper – Climax | 0 |
| — | BRM | 0 |
Drivers and constructors counted their best 5 results from rounds 1–6 and their best 5 from rounds 7–12. Only the highest-placed eligible car for each constructor could score constructor points.
1968 Formula 1 Race Calendar
Seen in:
